In the interest of full disclosure let’s get this out of the way right up front. I’m going to violate one of the golden rules of journalism. This story is about me.

…well, sort of.

Let us travel back in time to June 6, 2013. In the fourth round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Dodgers selected a 17-year-old senior out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona. At the time I thought two things to myself: 1) Either the Dodgers scouting staff is certifiably crazy, or 2) They are absolute geniuses. I mean why on earth would the Dodgers burn a fourth-round draft pick on a kid who wasn’t even old enough to vote yet … unless, of course, that kid was spectacular.

It was the latter, and that kid is Cody Bellinger.

Although I didn’t do a whole lot of research on this tall and lean kid at the time, I came across a video of him absolutely crushing a ball in the 2007 Little League World Series. He was 12 years old. But that swing, oh that swing was breathtaking. It was perfect in nearly every sense – a little bit long, but breathtaking nonetheless.

After that year’s draft I pretty much stopped following this Bellinger kid, who I had learned was the son of former major leaguer Clay Bellinger, who was the proud owner of two World Series rings that he earned while with the New York Yankees in 1999 and 2000.

It wasn’t until the latter part of the 2014 minor league season that I began hearing the name Cody Bellinger again, and when I heard it, it was always in a very good way and usually in the same sentence with home run.

Oh that swing.

The now 18-year-old Bellinger began the 2014 season with the Arizona Rookie League Dodgers but was promoted to the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer Rookie League after only five games (a clue). He finished the season with the Raptors, having played in a total of 46 games and posting a slash-line of .328 / .368 / .503 for an OPS of .870. He also slugged three home runs and drove in 34.

…and then came 2015.

Bellinger was assigned to the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes out of spring training 2015, which kind of surprised me because he had completely bypassed Low Single-A Great Lakes. Because I also cover the Quakes when the Dodgers are out of town and as a rule I always try to make their opening day, which happened to be against the Bakersfield Blaze at Historic Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield. As such, I finally got to lay eyes on this Bellinger kid for the first time. He was now 19 years old and appeared to be quite athletic for a kid who was 6′-4″ and maybe 190 pounds. But in his first month at the High-A level, Bellinger only managed to hit .260 with two home runs. He also struck out in 33 of his 77 April at-bats. That being said, I was absolutely hypnotized by that swing.

Oh that swing.

Bellinger began to fill into his 6′-4″ frame during the 2015 season, which undoubtedly helped his power exponentially. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As the weather began to heat up, so, too, did Bellinger. And even though he finished the regular season with a .264 batting average, he also finish tied for second in the California League with his 30 home runs and led the league with his 103 RBIs.

Bellinger received a congratulatory pie in the face for one of his several walk-off hits during the Quakes’ 2015 championship season. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As most Dodger fans know, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes ended up winning the 2015 Cal League championship by sweeping the San Jose Giants in three games. But what Dodgers fans might not know is that it was Cody Bellinger’s fifth-inning leadoff double, followed by a double off the bat of Dodgers top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo that allowed Bellinger to score the first (and eventual winning) run in the 5-0 shutout victory over the Giants to clinch the championship. As frosting on the cake, Bellinger also slugged a two-run home run in the top half of the eighth inning to drive a dagger through the hearts of the San Francisco Giants’ Advanced Single-A affiliate.

Oh, that swing.

It was during that historic 2015 season that I got to know Cody Bellinger on a personal level. Oh sure, I still a wrote several articles on his successful season, but I also got to know the 19-turned-20-year-old as a friend. I also learned that his father Clay and his mother Jennifer had done an outstanding job raising Cody. It would become immediately clear to anyone who met Cody for the first time that he was one of the most polite kids they would ever meet and that he was wise well beyond his years. As such, it came as no surprise to me that Bellinger received a non-roster invitation to spring training 2016. And although he did not make the Dodgers opening day roster out of big league camp – nor did anyone really expect him to – he absolutely tore it up, finishing the spring with two home runs and an insane slash-line of .393 / .541 / .679 for an alien-like 1.219 OPS.

Bellinger would go on to begin the 2016 season at Double-A Tulsa, where he continued his meteoric rise in the Dodgers prospect rankings. He also earned a late-season promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City. With the Tulsa Drillers, Belly (as he is called) hit .263 with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs. But in his three games with the OKC Dodgers, he went 6-for-11 (.545) with three home runs. He was also selected by the Dodgers to participate in the prestigious Arizona Fall league at the conclusion of the 2016 season and absolutely raked.

Oh, that swing.

Bellinger tore it up during the 2016 Arizona Fall League, including this monster two-run home run during the league’s annual Fall Stars Game. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As a surprise to absolutely no one, Belly again received a non-roster invitation to major league spring training camp this past March. But what was a surprise is that he remained in big league camp the entire time, which led some to believe that he might … just might actually make the Dodgers 2017 opening day roster. But in spite of hitting two spring training home runs, Bellinger could only muster a .206 batting average. He did, however, prove to be absolutely brilliant with the glove. The problem, of course, is that the Dodgers already had a Gold Glove first baseman who is under a lofty contract through the 2018 season. Knowing this, Bellinger broke camp back with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.

During the first month of the season with the OKC Dodgers, Bellinger played 16 games at first base. But he also played two games in center field and one in left field and played them well. (Note: During the 2015 season with the Quakes, Bellinger played 91 games at first base, 26 games in center field and one game in left field and, again, played them well – like a 1.000 fielding percentage well).

Low and behold, everyday Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson pulled up lame with a right groin strain last Saturday in Arizona and was placed on the 10-day disabled list the following Monday. Pederson joined fellow outfielder Franklin Gutierrez on the DL, he for left hamstring tightness that he suffered on April 12. The Dodgers recalled back-up outfielder Brett Eibner to replace Pederson’s spot on the roster, although utility infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernandez actually took over in center for Pederson.

All the while, Bellinger was having an absolutely remarkable 2017 season at OKC, posting a slash-line of .343 / .429 / .627 for a ridiculous 1.055 OPS, to go along with his five home runs and 15 RBIs in only 18 games played and 67 at-bats.

Oh, that swing.

Late Tuesday afternoon, word spread like wildfire that the Dodgers had seen enough and called Bellinger up to the big club for game-2 of the current four-game series against the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco. And while this was very welcome news to every Dodger fan on the planet, it was especially welcomed by one particular blogger who vividly recalls a 17-year-old senior being selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona.

Oh, that swing.

  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  

Author’s note: In his major league debut on Tuesday night, Bellinger went 1-for-3 with an infield single to begin his major league career with a .333 batting average. But perhaps even more important than his leg-single (although his mother, his father and his sister – who were in attendance – may disagree) was his nine-pitch at-bat in the top of the fifth inning. And even though that at-bat ended with a sharp line out to Giants right fielder Hunter Pence, Bellinger showed remarkable plate discipline and laid off several very close pitches.

And although Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wouldn’t come right out an say that the now 21-year-old Bellinger is up to stay with the big club, if he continues to put up at-bats like this one, and should Dodgers everyday left fielder Andrew Toles continue his struggles at the plate (he’s hitting .212 with three home runs and nine strikeouts in 52 at-bats), the Dodgers would be negligent not to keep Bellinger up as their everyday left fielder (and to spell Adrian Gonzalez at first base occasionally) even when Pederson and Gutierrez return from the DL.